Will Nick Chubb continue his progress with more things to watch on Monday night at Browns vs. Broncos?
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Will Nick Chubb continue his progress with more things to watch on Monday night at Browns vs. Broncos?

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

DENVER — The Browns are hanging around with the AFC playoff picture — well outside of it but still alive, and if they want to put their talk of trying to make a run into action, it will have to start Monday night, when They face the Denver Broncos, currently in the final wildcard spot.

Even with a win, the Browns still have a long way to go to get back in the game, but at least the season will remain interesting until they are officially eliminated.

The Browns and Broncos have played some wild games dating back to their playoff encounters in the 1980s and some unpredictable results more recently.

Here are three things to keep an eye on on Monday Night Football when the Browns and Broncos face off:

Nick Chubb against a strong Denver defense

Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, November 19, 2024

Browns running back Nick Chubb has improved every week since his return.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

The Broncos haven’t allowed a big rushing game often this year. Three players have rushed for more than 90 yards – Baltimore’s Derrick Henry had 106 yards in Week 9, Seattle’s Kenneth Walker III had 103 yards in Week 1 and the Chargers’ JK Dobbins had 96 yards in Week 6.

Only two other players have surpassed 60 yards – Tampa Bay’s Bucky Irving had 70 yards in Week 3 and Pittsburgh’s Najee Harris had 69 yards in Week 2.

If you’re keeping track, that’s the only time in the last six weeks that a player has rushed for more than 60 yards against this defense.

Nick Chubb’s return was one of the few bright spots this season and his two touchdowns against Pittsburgh were a highlight, but he’s still averaging just three yards per attempt, even as he rushed for a season-high 59 yards in Thursday night’s game against the Steelers with 20 runs.

The eyeball test tells you that Chubb is looking stronger each week – he ran well against the Saints in a game in which the Browns limited him to keep him fresh for Thursday night’s quick turnaround – and looked better against the Steelers, too like Chubb from .

Having 11 days between games will only help, as will another week with a healthier offensive line, particularly in interior defense. The Browns can use their running game to alleviate some of the pressure from the Broncos front, but they need to get it going against a front that has done a good job of limiting runners.

Jerry Jeudy’s rise

Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, November 19, 2024

Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy has been in tears lately.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Jeudy returns to where his career began: a Place he wanted to leave. His career with the Broncos never really took off, but at least in the last four games, he’s starting to look like the receiver the Browns thought they could steal from Denver when they traded a couple of Day 3 draft picks to sign him.

The 25-year-old Alabama product has 24 catches for 379 yards and a touchdown in his last four games, bringing his tally to 102 catches and 1,611 yards in 17 games. Of course, projections are just that and four games is a small sample size, but it’s worth noting that these four games are the ones started by quarterback Jameis Winston.

There’s a lot to figure out in the final six games of this season, and one of them is where Jeudy fits in the future receiver pecking order. Is he a potential No. 1 receiver for the foreseeable future? Answer this question and you can begin building the rest of the group where you think they fit.

Which Winston will the Browns get?

The Browns battle the Steelers on Thursday Night Football

Jameis Winston got the Browns offense going.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

The second half against Pittsburgh was the full Winston experience – two turnovers mixed with some exciting plays, including his dive into the end zone.

Winston gives the Browns the ability to expand their offense and push the ball downfield more than they could with Deshaun Watson, but he also gives the defense opportunities to make plays, and that could put his defense in a tough spot .

Broncos coach Sean Payton knows Winston well – he coached him for two seasons in New Orleans and knows the good and the bad with Winston. It has to help this Broncos defense to have a head coach who knows Winston so well.

Every week going forward, write the following in pen: Which Winston will appear?

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